Full transit versus partial transit?

[realtysandy]

How does this work..you go halfway then turn around? Do you miss out on a great deal if you only do the partial transit???

[sptrout]

How does this work..you go halfway then turn around? Do you miss out on a great deal if you only do the partial transit???

 

A parial transit does not go halfway, not even close. About 10% is closer to the truth. The Panama Canal is about 48 miles from sea to sea, with a total of six sets of locks (three steps up, three steps down). With a partial transit the ship goes through the first three locks (all of these are back-to-back), and then enters Gatun Lake. The ship then anchors and waits its turn to go back through the same set of locks and then usually docks at Cristobal Pier. While in the Lake waiting to return, passengers who have booked tours on land can disembark (tender over to a small dock). (This may have changed in recent years.)

 

We have done all three Panama cruise versions; full, partial, and just dock at Colon 2000 (ship never enters the Canal Zone). Full was by far the best; you see it all. Actually, the Pacific side is the most interesting since you can see Panama City (in the distance), the Bridge of the Americas, and Gaillard Cut.

 

Checkout this map: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Panama_Canal_Rough_Diagram.png

 

You will see that a partial transit into Gatun Lake leaves a lot of Canal unexplored. If a full transit cruise is not possible due to time (usually 2 weeks, or finances), then a partial transit is a good way to see some of the locks. In this case I would recommend a tour of somekind that takes you to the Pacific side so you can see more of Panama and the Canal.

[BillB48]

I wrote this a while back in response to a similar question for the Jewel of the Seas, when it was doing partial transits of the Canal, just substitute your ship for Jewel.

 

I think it can be a very satisfying cruise. Be warned that once you have done a partial you will probably want to go back and do a full transit and that is normal! The Jewel sails into the Atlantic entrance of the Canal and locks up into Gatun Lake through the Gatun Locks in the morning. The ship will arrive at the anchorage in Gatun Lake around 9 to 10. This is where the tendering takes place, passengers who have booked ship's tours are tendered off to meet their tours. Note, that only passengers that are on ship's tours are allowed off here and the ship's tenders do not complete the transit. The ship will then lock back down Gatun Locks and proceed to the Cristobal piers where they have a very nice shopping area inside the pier. The pier is also where those who are on tours will rejoin the ship.

 

If you want to get more of the Canal there is one tour called something like "Canal by Ferry". This tour takes you to the Pacific side after you have tendered off the ship in Gatun Lake. You will sail briefly in the Pacific, (the approach channel) as well as Miraflores, Pedro Miguel Locks and Gaillard Cut. This tour will take you through about 80% of the Canal. The only portion of the Canal you won't see is the 20 mile stretch of Gatun Lake from Gamboa to Gatun Locks. You will also be able to see some of the country side on the bus ride to meet your ferry.

As sptrout pointed out, the Pacific side which would include the Pacific Locks, two impressive brdiges over the Canal as well as Gaillard Cut is the more visually interesting portion of the Canal. Another advantage in seeing the Canal on a partial transit is you are more likely to get off the ship and take a tour, whereas on a full transit you would have to give up part of the transit if you were to take a tour. The good thing either a partial or a full, is they are both independent cruises. Just because you have been on one, doesn't mean "you have been there done that." Probably the easiest way to make the decision is to pick which one suits your schedule now and put the other one on the "to do" list for a later date.